River Hawks win first-ever Hockey East championship

Tournament MVP Connor Hellebuyck turns aside a shot
during the second period of the Hockey East championship game
between BU and UMass-Lowell. (Dave Arnold Photography)

Final: UMass-Lowell 1, Boston University 0

Recap: After a scoreless first period that was
short on scoring chances, the two combatants in the Hockey East
finals picked up the pace in the second period. The River Hawks and
Terriers combined for 33 shots and three man advantages in the
middle frame, but Connor Hellebuyck and Sean Maguire thwarted every
puck fired their way.

In the third, Colin Wright took off on a breakaway and managed
to beat Maguire with his shot. Unfortunately for UML, the post
denied his bid and the game remain 0-0 with 16:35 left in
regulation.

That changed with 8:51 to go, as Derek Arnold buried a
wraparound attempt to put Lowell up 1-0. Arnold's 12th goal of the
season was the only tally on the night, as the River Hawks reigned
supreme in the league's 2013 tourney.

Key Play of the Game: On the game- and
tournament-winning goal, Arnold showed great alertness swooping in
behind the net and got to the other post in a heartbeat, catching
Maguire out of position. The BU goaltender got a piece of the puck,
but not enough to keep it out of his cage.

Connolly's Commendations: Connor Hellebuyck
finished the league playoffs with a superb performance, stopping
all 37 shots he faced to earn the shutout in the championship game.
The freshman goalie was named MVP for the Hockey East tournament,
during which he stopped 112 of the 116 shots he faced -- good for a
.966 save percentage.

Helluva game for Lowell's defensive corps as well. Christian
Folin and Jake Suter led the team with four blocked shots
apiece, while Chad Ruhwedel had three -- and an assist on Arnold's
game-winning strike.

It's a shame either goalie had to lose this game. Maguire was
equally as stellar down the other end of the rink, stopping
29-of-30 on the night.

Connolly's Critiques: This game was about as
perfectly played as it gets by both sides, but if you subscribe to
the theory that someone needs to get thrown under the bus, we'll
nominate Cason Hohmann. The BU pivot did have four shots on goal,
but he was on the ice for Arnold's tally and won just 6-of-17
faceoffs.

Notes: UMass-Lowell had appeared in two Hockey
East title games prior to 2013, losing in the finals in 1994 and
2009. The loss ended BU's hopes of reaching the NCAAs and will be
the final game in Jack Parker's illustrious career behind the
Terriers' bench.